Hypoglycemia

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 10, 2009. Updated: August 08, 2009
Category: Differential Diagnosis | Endocrinology | Diabetes

Hypoglycemia is a pathologic state that is caused by neuronal glucose deprivation. Brain metabolism depends primarily on glucose as energetic material. When blood glucose levels decrease a group of homeostatic mechanisms come into play as a reaction to… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Chest pain

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 22, 2009. Updated: July 29, 2009
Category: Differential Diagnosis | Cardiology

Any of the structures within the chest are sensitive to pain except the lung parenchyma (tissue) and visceral pleura (not the parietal pleura - which is the cause of pleuritic pain). This makes chest pain a very difficult symptom to analyze as the list… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 17, 2009. Updated: September 26, 2009
Category: Diseases | Infections | Internal Medicine | Immunology | Nephrology

Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is an uncommon complication of either a streptococcal throat or a streptococcal skin infection. PSGN involves inflammation of the kidney.

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Nephrotic syndrome

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 17, 2009. Updated: September 28, 2009
Category: Diseases | Nephrology

Nephrotic syndrome is not due to inflammatory processes but due to direct action of the membrane attack unit of complement on the glomerular filtration barrier.

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Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 17, 2009. Updated: October 02, 2009
Category: Diseases | Nephrology

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a slowly progressive loss of renal function over a period of months or years.

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Berger’s Disease

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 17, 2009. Updated: August 09, 2009
Category: Diseases | Nephrology | Immunology

Berger's disease, also known as IgA nephropathy, is the most common glomerulopathy worldwide. Read more... (Comments: 0)

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody disease

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: July 17, 2009. Updated: August 09, 2009
Category: Diseases | Nephrology | Immunology

This is an automimmune disease in which autoantibodies are directed against type IV collagen. About 60% have concomittent affection of both glomerular basement membrane and the alveolar capillary membrane which share the same target antigen. This association… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Troponin

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: August 17, 2009
Category: Labs | Cardiology | Pathology

Troponin is a protein that confers calcium sensitivity to muscle cells. Read more... (Comments: 0)

Creatine kinase

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: August 17, 2009
Category: Labs | Cardiology | Pathology | Rheumatology

Creatine kinase is one of the most sensitive indicators of myocardial injury. Creatine kinase is found primarily in the heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. Acute liver damage has no effect on CK. CK may be elevated in acute muscular damage (such as seen… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Pacemaker

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 29, 2009
Category: Procedures | Cardiology

A pacemaker (or "artificial pacemaker", so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker) is a medical device designed to regulate the beating of the heart. The purpose of an artificial pacemaker is to stimulate the heart when either the heart's… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Procedures | Cardiology

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency first aid procedure used to help a person who has lost their pulse and their ability to breathe normally, a condition known as cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a condition nearly everyone experiences… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Defibrillation

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Procedures | Cardiology

Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Read more... (Comments: 0)

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 27, 2009
Category: Procedures | Cardiology

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a Heart-Lung… Read more... (Comments: 0)

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

Edited by: Tamer M. Fouad, M.D.
Published: June 21, 2009. Updated: July 04, 2009
Category: Procedures | Cardiology

Angioplasty, or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) is a method used to unblock a coronary artery. A wire is passed through the diseased coronary artery, to an area of the coronary artery that is not being worked upon. Over this wire,… Read more... (Comments: 0)